The developer of Amphetamine, an application that prevents Macs from going into hibernation, says Apple told him that it violated the App Store guidelines, even though it has been on the App Store since 2014 and has nothing to do with drug use. . Not long after The Verge contacted Apple for comment on Saturday, however, the company reversed its decision, and the app will be able to retain its current name and logo.
William C. Gustafson said in Jan. 1 posts on Reddit and Github that Apple informed him that he had two weeks to “remove all references to the word ‘amphetamine’ and remove the pill from the icon”. If he didn’t, Gustafson wrote, Apple said it would remove the app from the App Store on January 12. The logo features a cartoon image of a pill.
Gustafson said The Verge he received a call from Apple on Saturday granting his appeal – but he had no idea how the app was flagged in the first place. “I specifically asked Apple over the phone if this was the result of customer complaints and Apple’s response was ‘I don’t think so’,” he said. “I thought it was strange that this problem came out of nowhere. I was not trying to update Amphetamine or something. I sat at home with my kids enjoying our vacation and received the violation / rejection email from Apple. “
I just got a call with @Apple. Resource accepted and amphetamine will remain in @Application store. Thank you all for your comments, opinions and actions. We may not all agree, but I’m glad we still have the freedom to express ourselves today. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PV7eB9aUfn
– William C. Gustafson (@ x74353) January 2, 2021
Gustafson says that Apple contacted him on December 29 and told him that amphetamine “seems to promote the inappropriate use of controlled substances. Specifically, your app’s name and icon include references to controlled substances, pills. “
The free macOS app has been downloaded more than 432,000 times, with a rating of 4.8, said Gustafson, noting that Apple even included Amphetamine in a Mac App Store story. He said he has had several interactions with Apple employees for app updates since its launch, with no one disputing the name or logo so far.
The specific App Store guideline that Gustafson has been accused of violating is this, which states “Apps that encourage the consumption of tobacco or steam products, illegal drugs or excessive amounts of alcohol are not allowed on the App Store. Applications that encourage minors to consume any of these substances will be rejected. Facilitating the sale of marijuana, tobacco or controlled substances (except in licensed pharmacies) is not allowed. “
Gustafson says Amphetamine does none of these things, and said that changing the name of the app would have destroyed brand awareness and potentially made it more difficult for users to find future updates.
Gustafson initially said he did not expect his appeal to be successful and, in fact, Apple tends to follow App Store rules in most cases. The company has faced resistance from developers on several fronts in recent months, with major companies in the industry, including Spotify, Tile and Epic Games, forming a group called Coalition for App Fairness. He says that Apple’s rules create an uneven playing field in its App Stores.
Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson struggled with Apple last summer over the design of the mobile app for his company’s email client, Hey. And Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple in August after the iOS version of its Battle Royale game Fifteen days was removed on the App Store. Epic has implemented its own payment processing system on the iOS version of Fifteen days, which goes against the rules of the App Store.
Apple did not immediately comment on Saturday.